Artificial limb.



No. 813,740. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

J. P. ROWLEY. ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1905.

JAMES F. ROWLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed April 14, 1905. Serial No. 255,577-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs F. RowLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an im roved form of artificial limb which will have all of the advantages of both the slip-socket and the solid socket for re ceiving the stump and to provide a limb of this class which by a simple adjustment may be readily changed from the slip-socket to the fixed coaptating-socket type, and vice versa.

A further object is to provide an improved construction for limbs of the slip-socket type, whereby the pounding effect of the yielding of the movable member will be prevented from affecting the stump of the wearer.

I accomplish these objects by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an artificial limb embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and partly broken away. Fi 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The particular form of limb which is shown in the drawings to illustrate my invention is intended for application to the stumps of llglnbs which have been amputated below the In the construction shown the leg-section 5 is preferably of wood and is provided at its upper end with a socket member 6, which is also preferably of wood and is reduced at its lower end to telescope with the leg-section 5 and form a sliding joint 7, adapted to permit endwise extension and contraction of the joint. The outer surface of the socket members 6 forms a continuation of the outer surface of the leg-section 5.

The leg section is connected with the thigh-socket or thigh-strap 8 by means of a pair of jointed metal side straps arranged at opposite-sides of the limb. These straps are each formed in two parts connected together by a hinged joint 10. The lower part 11 of each of the side straps is grooved at 12 on its inner face to receive a vertically-disposed tongue 13 on the side of the socket member. The opposed surfaces of said tongue and the inner face of the part 11 of the side strap are grooved to form a cylindrical cavity 14, in which is seated a spiral spring 15, inclosed in a casing of chamoisskin to render the same noiseless and prevent undue friction upon contiguous surfaces. The spring 15 bears at its lower end upon a shoulder 16 at the lower end of the groove 12. The upper end of the spring 15 bears upon a lug 17 on the plate 18, which is rigidly fastened to the socket member 6. Said lug also extends into the groove 12 in the part 11 of the side strap and serves to guide the movement of the socket member 6 and at the same time limit said movement through engagement with a shoulder or stop 19 at the upper end of the groove 12.

The part 11 has a socket 20 for receiving a set-screw 21. Part of said socket is threaded at 22 for engaging the shank of said setscrew. The plate 18 is also provided with a threaded aperture 23, fitting the shank of the set-screw 21 and suitably located to register with the aperture in the part 11 and receive the set-screw when the joint between the socket member and leg-section is contracted to its limiting position. The interior of the socket member 6 is lined with a coaptating layer, which preferably consists of a pad of soft. non-elastic material 24, saturated with paraflin-wax, being formed to fit the stump of the wearer and protected by an outer covering of soft leather 25. This type of coaptating pad is described and claimed in my Patent No. 526,057, dated September 18, 1894, and is adapted, through softening of the wax by the natural heat of the stump, to continuously adapt itself to the variations in the shape of the stump.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: The stump of the wearer is seated in the socket member 6 and the thigh-socket is strapped around the thigh of the wearer in the usual manner. If the set-screws 20 are screwed home into the apertures 23, then the limb has all of the characteristics of the rigid limb provided with a coaptating wax socket. This form of limb is preferred by most wearers, especially after the limb has been worn for a time and the wearer has become accustomed to the use of an artificial limb. In cases where the slip-socket form of limb seems preferable to the wearer he may readily change my form of artificial limb to the slipsocket type by unscrewing the set-screws 21 from the apertures 23, and thereby permitting the springs 15 to normally urge the joint between the socket member and leg-section to its extended position. This joint then yields through the resilient action of these springs when the weight of the wearer is upon the limb. The screw 21 is prevented from becoming loose after being released from engagement with the aperture 23 by means of its threaded connection with the threaded part of the aperture 20. The threads at this point are preferably quite close fitting, so as to prevent the screw 21 from working loose through ar. The great advantage, therefore, of this form of artificial limb is its ready interchangeability from the wax-socket type to the slip-socket type at the will of the wearer, making it possible for a wearer to change the type of his limb after it has once been fitted without trouble and without expense.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an artificial limb, the combination of a leg-section, a socket member having endwise-sliding connection with said leg-section, yielding means normally urging the extension of the joint between said socket memher and leg-section, a stop limiting said extension, and means for securing said socket member against movement with respect to said leg-section.

2. In an artificial limb the combination of a legsection, a socket member having endwise-sliding connection with said leg-section, and coacting locking means secured respectively to said socket member and said legsection and adapted to be adjusted either to permit or to prevent their relative sliding movement.

3. In an artificial limb, the combination of a leg-section, a socket member having endwise-sliding connection with said leg-section, yielding means normally urging the extension of the joint between said socket member and leg-section, a stop limiting said extension, and a setscrew mounted on one of said parts and adapted to have threaded engagement with the other part when the joint between said parts is in its contracted position.

4. In an artificial limb, the combination of a leg-section; a socket member having endwise-sliding connection with said leg-section; metallic side straps rigidly connected with said leg-section and disposed longitudinally thereof at each side of said socket member, each of said straps having a longitudinal groove on its inner face and said socket member having a lug slidably seated in each of said grooves; a spiral spring seated in each of said grooves, bearing between the leg-section and the corresponding lug of said socket member and normally urging the extension of the joint between said socket member and leg-section; and a stop on said side straps for limiting the extension of said joint.

5. In an artificial limb, the combination of a leg-section; a socket member having endwise-sliding'connection with said leg-section,- metallic side straps rigidly connected with said leg-section and disposed longitudinally thereof at each side of said socket member, each of said straps having a longitudinal groove on its inner face and said socket member having a lug slidably seated in each of said grooves; a spiral spring seated in each of said grooves, bearing between the leg-section and the corresponding lug of said socket member, and normally urging the extension of the joint between said socket member and legsection; a stop on said side straps for limiting the extension of said joint; a set-screw mounted in each of said side straps; and said socket member having therein threaded apertures for receiving said set-screws and securing said socket member and leg-section against relative movement.

Signed at Chicago this 7th day of April,

JAMES F. ROWLEY.

Witnesses:

LAILA L. SPENoE, WM. R. RUMMMLER. 

